Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a concept of and mechanism for measurement of forces during physical exertion and can be applied to various existing equipment. More specifically, this invention relates to the use of strain gauges to a monitor and measure forces and to generate output data indicative of the forces generated. The strain gauge force monitoring devices may be isolated as separate entities and applied to various training, exercising and rehabilitation devices. In one practical embodiment of the invention, the strain gauges are incorporated into handgrips so that the concept can be incorporated into virtually all present exercise devices and other devices that have handgrips. In addition, the strain gauges may be incorporated into foot pedals or other components at which forces are transferred or generated with respect to various equipment.